Relief valve



Nov. 13 1923.

E. A. 'GssLl-:R E'r AL RELIEF VALVE Filed April 2; 1921 Patented Nov.. i3, i923.

FREDERICK A. GRssLRR, or LA GRANGE,

orifice.

ILLINoIs, AND ROBERT B. RIITCHRLLQOI' RILLSDALR, MICHIGAN, AssIeNoRs To ELECTRIC MILKRR CORPORATION, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, vA CORPORATION or DELAWARE.` Y

RELIEF VALVE.

Application led `Apri1`2,

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, FREDERICK A. Gass- LER and ROBERT B. MITCHELL, both citizens of the United States, residing at La Grange, 5 in the county of Cook and State of illinois, and at Hillsdale, in the county of Hillsdale and State of Michigan, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Relief Valves, of which the .following is a speciication.

rlhis invention relates to a relief valve designed for use in maintaining a given degree of vacuum or pressure. rlhe object'of the invention is to so construct the device that the same may be adjusted to afford relief when the desired degree of vacuum or pressure has been established, the adjustment being effected without the use of springs or the like which might tend to become impaired throughcontinued usage, or

might otherwise be uncertain or unsatisfactory in use. Y

In the drawing: v Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the relief valve, showing the same adjusted to withstand a maximum degree of pressure or vacuum; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the device with the parts occupying a position of 3o adjustment for minimum pressure or vacu um with the valve elevated to afford relief. The device consists of a cylindrical shell l0 closed at its upper end by'means of a threaded ring 11 having a iange 12 which abuts against the upper edge of the shell. The ring is provided with a cross wall 13 having through its center a smooth aperture 14 through which extends an adjusting rod 15 having a knob or handle 16 at its upper end. The ring 12 is recessed and threaded to receive a closing plug 17 throughwhich the rod 15y extends, and said closing plug bears upon a locking disk 18 of rubber or other similar elastic material through which the adjusting rod protrudes. The adjusting rod is provided with a series of two or more circumferential shallow grooves 19,three being shown for purposes of illustration, and this series of adjacent grooves co-act with the elastic locking ring in such a wa;7 as to maintain the rod in any desired position of adjustment; that is to say, the elastic ringv will yield sufiiciently to permit the elevated 1921. Serial No. 58,122.

portions of the rod to be pulled or pushed through the disk, which latter, however, will contract suoiently'to vengage with any one of the grooves after the adjustment has beenV effected by the expenditure of Vsuflici'ent orle to compress the material composing the 1s c Y The lower end of the shell merges into a base 20, preferably sorewthreaded at the point 21 to engage with the pipe, receptacle,

i coupling or the like, to which the relief valve is applied. The base is provided in its centerI with a vertical valve passage v22 with which at different levels the passages 23 and 24; communicate. vVihen these latter passages are in communication with one another through the passage 21, the relief conditions will be established, but in yo-rder to prevent such communication, the main valve weight 25 is provided, which weight has depending therefrom a valve stem 26 adapted to slide within the vertical lpassage 22, so that when the weight is in loweredV or normal position, the valve stem will bridge the space between the passages 23 and 24, thereby blocking communication from one to the other. rlhe main valve weight is provided with an annular channel 27 into which protrudes a boss 28, the upper edge of which aords a seating surface for the valve weight.

Above the main valve weight are located one or more supplemental weights, two being shown for purposes of illustration. The lowermost supplemental weight 29 in normal or unadjusted position rests directly upon the weight 25, and in like manner the second supplemental weight 80 rests upon the rst supplemental weight 29, as shown in Fig. 1. Obviously additional weights might likewise be superimposed one upon another depending upon the capacity for adjustment which is desired. Each of the supplemental weights is provided through its center with a counter bore 31 through which the lower end of the adjusting rod extends. The adjusting rod is provided with stop flanges 32 normally lying within the counter bore and adapted, when the rod is drawn upwardly, to lift one or more of the superimposed weights depending upon the degree of adjustment required.

It will be Observed that the relation ofthe,

parts is such that when the adjusting rod is raised to the first position of adjustment, the

second, so that the Weighted valve alone will.

act to resist the pressure or vacuum condi- Y tions which the valve is designed to control.

In orderV to p-revent the rod from being drawnY upwardly to an'objectionable degree,

n a crossstop pin 33 is provided which limits the extent ofmovement of the adjusting rod.

The operation of the device is as follows: With the parts in the position shown in F ig. l, all three of the weights will Vexert their combined pressure in maintaining the valve in `vclosed position, so that a high degree of pressure or vacuum will be maintained beforerelief is afforded. Vith the parts adjusted as in F ig. 2, the two supplemental weights are supported from the adjusting rod, sov that they are ineffective in lending assistance to the valve weight, which latter alone will resist the conditions seeking relief. In the same way an intermediate. adjustment ofl the rod will allow .the rst sup plemental weight to combine with the main weight, and it is obvious that three or more supplemental weights might be added to the column, the range of adjustments being increased without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Ne claim:

1. In a relier" valve, the combination of a shell, a base to which the shell is attached, a

relief passage extending through the base,

and rod respectively for engaging the Weight to the rod after the rod has been retracted to a given degree to raise and hold the supplemental weight out of contact withv the weighted valve, substantially as described.

2. In a relief valve, the combination of a casing, a base to which the casing is secured, said base being provided with a relief passage, a closure for the upper end of the casing, a weighted valve for controlling' the relief'passage, an adjusting rod adapted to be moved through the closure and held in various positions of adjustment, a series of supplemental weights surrounding the lower end of the adjusting rod, and a series oit' stop members positioned to successively lift the supplemental weights composing the series,

vsaid lifting eect progressing from Vthe uppermost to thelowermost Weight composing the column, substantially as described. i

FREDERICK A. GESSLER. ROBERT B. MTCHELL. l 

